LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Gang members are thought to be among those involved in the brutal beating of a Las Vegas teen earlier this month, according to a new Metro arrest report.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene at 2:05 p.m. on Nov. 1 in reference to a battery of a student in an alleyway near Rancho High School. Arriving officers found school administrators performing CPR on the student — later identified as 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr.
Lewis Jr. was immediately transported to University Medical Center, and an additional victim was treated for minor injuries at the scene.
An initial investigation revealed several drops of blood on some boards at the western end of the alleyway, near a fence that separated the parking lot from the building. A pair of black framed glasses and a black Android cellphone were located on the opposite end of the alleyway, south of the dumpsters. North of the dumpster, police also located an earbud case with earbuds and a lanyard.
After evaluating the scene, crime intelligence detectives alerted investigators to a video of the fight, which was posted to Instagram. Investigators noted in the report that the video depicted at least ten subjects directly involved in the battery.
Detectives would cross-reference the video with surveillance footage to identify several subjects involved in the fight. Their identities would be further confirmed by school administrators.
The report also noted investigators' belief that several gang members — "associated with Young Rich Team, Murder Block, and 2100 Block" — were involved in the fight. Investigators also noted that the fight started over an allegedly stolen pair of headphones.
"Earlier in the week, [redacted] had his wireless headphones stolen at school, and he believed he knew who stole his headphones and challenged him to a fight in the back alley," the report noted.
Surveillance footage obtained from the school showed a large group entering the alleyway, followed by two additional students — one of whom was identified as Lewis Jr.
According to the arrest report, Lewis Jr. yelled at the group while approaching and immediately punched the closest person to him. Several people immediately swarmed the student, punching and kicking him until he fell to the ground. Once on the ground, several more subjects began punching, kicking, and stomping on him while he was on the ground.
The additional subject in the alleyway attempted to break up the fight but was also attacked by several group members.
Multiple subjects filmed the assault on their phones. Several of those subjects would later have their phones seized by police in the investigation.
While hospital staff initially reported that Lewis Jr. was in "critical condition with life-threatening blunt-force injuries to his head and body," doctors would later label his injury as a "non-survivable injury" and reported no brain activity.
On Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, Lewis Jr. was declared dead by hospital staff. An autopsy conducted by the Clark County Coroner's Office on Sunday, Nov. 12, would reveal that Lewis Jr. died of homicide inflicted by multiple blunt force injuries.
Police would apprehend four suspects identified during the attack on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.
Gianni Robinson and Damien Hernandez would be taken into custody at their residences at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., respectively. Treavion Randolph was also arrested in North Las Vegas at 1:10 p.m., while Dontral Beaver was apprehended in his home at 1:41 p.m.
All four suspects were transported to Clark County Juvenile Detention Center on open murder charges.
The teens are due back in court on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, for a status check on discovery.
